


Telling Pat

by Rosetylars



Series: Cricverse [45]
Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: M/M, New Relationship, Relationship Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29574654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: “Patty, we’ve gotta tell you something,” Mitch began.“Is everything okay? You’re not... neither of you is retiring, right?” Pat worried.“What? No!” Josh insisted.Pat sighed with relief. “Oh, thank god,” he breathed. “Sorry, I’m listening.”Mitch met Josh’s eyes momentarily.“Patty... we’re dating,” Mitch said.Pat frowned. “Dating who?”
Relationships: Mitchell Starc/Josh Hazlewood
Series: Cricverse [45]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755766
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Telling Pat

**Author's Note:**

> Sydney, February 2021.

Mitch was laying in Josh’s bed - a bed he had been very comfortable in, over the years, but only recently had Mitch grown to love it in a _new_ way. Josh was a pretty light sleeper, so Mitch made sure not to jostle him where he rested against Mitch’s side. Their Shield match had finished a day early, yesterday, so they had an unexpected day off today.

Josh woke up a short while later, frowning at the sunlight streaming in through a gap in the curtains.

“Thought you promised they were closed,” Josh mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the offending blinds.

Mitch chuckled, leaning down to peck Josh’s forehead. “Sorry, Joshy. I really thought they were.”

“You’ll listen to me one day,” Josh lamented, dropping his head back to Mitch’s bare chest. “What’s on today?”

“Bar with Patty tonight, remember?” Mitch reminded, running a hand back through Josh’s short hair.

Josh hummed thoughtfully. “You gonna wear that new shirt?”

“I can, if you’d like,” Mitch replied, unable to hold back a grin.

“Mm, I’d like,” Josh confirmed, smirking up at Mitch. His face fell as he seemed to think of something, though. “Actually maybe that’s not the best idea if Patty doesn’t know we’re... you know...”

“Together?” Mitch supplied gently.

“Yeah,” Josh replied.

Mitch considered that. “We could always tell him,” he suggested. “That way we can cut the bullshit.”

Josh swallowed. Telling Pat would make _this_ a whole lot more real. But it was real, wasn’t it? He’d known Mitch for three quarters of his life, and had loved him for years before either of them decided to do anything about it.

“Do you reckon?” Josh asked, looking up to meet Mitch’s gorgeous chocolate eyes.

Mitch shrugged. “I don’t see this going anywhere,” he gestured vaguely in the direction of both of their bodies, legs tangled under the crisp white sheets. “It’s not like he won’t approve.”

“No, of course not,” Josh agreed. “Not with how many bloody couples are going around our circles, these days.”

Mitch chuckled warmly, at that, not pointing out that they were kind of one of those _bloody couples_ now.

Josh continued. “It’s just... it’s always been the three of us. I don’t want him to feel like anything has changed, do you get me?”

Mitch nodded. He always got Josh.

“But Joshy, it’s not like we just randomly fucked one night and changed our dynamic. Nothing really changed, we just stopped lying to ourselves,” he pointed out gently.

Josh knew that was true. He shifted his arm so he could reach for Mitch’s hand with his own, and Mitch interlaced their fingers.

“I just don’t want Patty to feel like we love him any less, if you and I love each other a little more,” Josh murmured against Mitch’s skin.

Mitch rubbed his thumb against the back of Josh’s hand. “He won’t, Joshy. We don’t feel like he loves us any less because he has Marshy, right?”

Josh frowned, shaking his head. “That’s different.”

“How’s it different?”

“They’ve been together forever,” Josh pointed out needlessly.

Mitch shrugged. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

*

They spent the whole day together, which wasn’t new for them in the slightest. Pat wasn’t surprised when Mitch let him know he and Josh were heading to the bar together - they had done all of this _before.._. before they were more than best friends.

Mitch didn’t have to go home to get changed - he had brought over the clothes he planned to wear, the previous day.

After a drawn out shower together, Josh lounged on the bed in just dress pants, openly watching Mitch as he got ready. At the moment, he was only in dark briefs, and Josh couldn’t tear his eyes away.

“You’re staring, Joshy.”

Josh shrugged. “I have eyes.”

“Your eyes look like you want me again,” Mitch said bashfully, a blush rising on his cheeks.

Josh chuckled warmly. “I always want you.” Now, he was unable to resist the urge to head over, stand behind Mitch and hook his head over his shoulder.

Mitch turned in the circle of Josh’s arms, kissing him instead.

Before they could get carried away, Mitch pecked Josh several times before patting his chest, encouraging him to pull back.

“C’mon. Patty will be grumpy with us if we’re late,” Mitch said.

Josh pulled a face, pecking Mitch one last time before heading to the wardrobe, pulling out a shirt to put on.

Returning the favour, Mitch squeezed Josh’s bum as they both got dressed.

Josh insisted on buttoning Mitch’s shirt for him, pressing kisses to patches of tanned skin before they were covered up.

Soon, they were finally ready to leave, and they stole one last kiss before heading out of the door.

“I love you, Joshy,” Mitch reminded, lifting Josh’s wrist to his lips, pressing a kiss to his pulse.

“I love you, too,” Josh replied, heart full.

*

When they got to the bar, Pat was already there, of course, and had saved them a table.

Pat’s lit up with a smile as he saw the boys arrive - he was on the phone, and the boys caught the last of his chat.

“The boys are here, I’ve gotta go. Love you too.” Pat hung up, put his phone on the table, and stood up to greet Josh and Mitch with hugs. “Hey, boys.”

“Was that Marshy?” Josh asked, returning Pat’s hug.

“Yeah,” Pat replied. “They’re having a movie night over in New Zealand, apparently. I’ve told him he needs to wear earphones if he wants to scroll through things on his phone.”

Mitch laughed, and Josh shook his head fondly.

They chatted for a little while, before Mitch declared he was buying the first round of beers. He returned shortly after with three beers delicately poised in a triangle in his hands.

“Thanks, Starcy,” Pat smiled easily, sipping from the beer.

Josh asked how ‘Marshy’ was going - he hadn’t called Pat's husband _Mitch_ for a very long time, because to Josh, Mitch was _his_ Mitch. That was probably the reason why Pat only really called him Starcy, too.

Pat went into a detailed explanation of everything his husband had been getting up to in New Zealand - their quarantine seemed a little bit boring, but they were doing what they needed to be doing.

“Apparently Aaron and Maxi were really down when they heard about the Victorian lockdown. I think their families were struggling with it,” Pat explained with a wince.

Mitch sighed sympathetically, though his expression filled with warmth once again when he spoke. “Did you see Glenn’s new hairstyle?”

*

Three beers later, the boys were square with their rounds, which only ever meant one thing.

“Shots?” Josh suggested, a cheeky glint in his eye.

Pat flung an arm around his shoulder as they all headed over to the bar together.

“You have not changed in eight years,” Pat teased, grinning.

“I’ve been drinking a lot longer than eight years, Patty,” Josh protested with a smile.

He knew that wasn’t what Pat had meant, but their conversation went no further as they reached the front of the queue. They always made Pat their spokesperson - just like pretty young ladies, he was always served first at busy bars.

As Pat leant over the bar to speak to the bartender, the boys stood back, and Mitch squeezed Josh’s hand.

“We should tell him when we go back to sit,” Mitch suggested.

Josh swallowed, but nodded. They were all buzzed, and it felt like the right time - if there ever was a right time to tell someone that his two best friends were now together.

The bartender poured their shots - Fireball, which felt fitting - and the boys carefully cheersed their shot glasses before drinking them down.

Pat didn’t spill a drop, so he thanked the bartender and smiled at the boys, heading back to their table.

While Pat’s back was turned, Mitch swiped at the rogue drop of liquor on Josh’s lip with his thumb, letting Josh lick it off his hand. The moment was so intimate that Josh worried he wouldn’t be able to fight down a blush in time.

They all sat back down, and Mitch squeezed Josh’s knee under the table.

“Patty, we’ve gotta tell you something,” Mitch began.

Pat’s stomach clearly dropped - his eyes widened, and he inhaled sharply. “Is everything okay? You’re not... neither of you is retiring, right?” Pat worried.

Pat’s statement was such a shock that Josh huffed a surprised laugh.

“What? No!” Josh insisted.

Pat sighed with relief. “Oh, thank god,” he breathed. “Sorry, I’m listening.”

Mitch met Josh’s eyes momentarily.

“Patty... we’re dating,” Mitch said.

Pat frowned. “Dating who?”

Josh and Mitch exchanged a look.

“Each other,” Mitch replied.

The words seemed to take a while to sink in. Pat blinked. “Okay, ha ha, very funny. What do you really want to tell me?”

Josh reached across the table for Pat’s hand, showing he was serious.

“Patty, we’re not joking. Mitchy and I are together,” Josh explained gently.

“But that doesn’t mean anything changes when the three of us hang out,” Mitch was quick to assure.

Pat hadn’t seemed to get to that bridge, yet.

“You two? Like, romantically?” Pat asked.

Josh blushed, ducking his head, leaving the explaining to Mitch.

“Well, yeah,” Mitch replied. “We’re in love.”

Those words seemed to snap Pat out of his confusion.

“Holy fuck,” Pat said eloquently. “Okay, I did not see this coming. Start from the start. When did this happen?”

Josh looked to Mitch to explain.

“Well... we’d both had feelings for each other for a long time. A really long time. But we never said anything to anyone-“

“You told Copes,” Josh cut in, to remind Mitch.

Mitch chuckled, giving Josh a smile so warm that his eyes crinkled with the force of it. “That was _one_ time. When I was drunk and you were gorgeous and I couldn’t deal with it.”

Pat looked between the two of them, shocked.

Mitch continued his story anyway. “It was in Adelaide. The day you and Joshy bowled those spells and had India all out for 36. That evening, after we all drank together, everyone started breaking off.”

“You were on the phone to Marshy,” Josh added, to Pat. “So we took beers back to my room.”

“We were just so happy,” Mitch continued. “I was so proud of him and I just... I broke, after all this time. I told him I loved him and I was proud of him.”

Josh was smiling softly at the memory. “I thought he meant he loved me like he loves you,” he admitted with a chuckle, looking at Pat, whose jaw was slack. “I only got what he meant when he started panicking he’d wrecked the, and I quote, ‘most important friendship in his life,’” Josh reported.

Pat did pout, at that, but it was in jest.

“So you two were just… together, after that?” Pat asked.

Josh and Mitch exchanged another look.

“Well… when I realised what I’d said I kind of panicked,” Mitch admitted.

“I shut him up with a kiss,” Josh concluded proudly.

“Our first kiss,” Mitch confirmed, smiling warmly at Josh.

“You two have kissed,” Pat repeated, stunned. “On the mouth.”

The pair exchanged a look, clearly both thinking of the other, less family friendly, places they had kissed each other.

“I need another drink,” Pat declared, sounding exhausted.

He headed to the bar, leaving Josh and Mitch alone.

Josh rested his chin on Mitch’s shoulder, and Mitch shifted to put his arm around Josh’s back, stroking his side.

“I didn’t expect him to react like that,” Josh mumbled.

Mitch hummed thoughtfully. “I think it’s a bit of a shock,” he replied.

“But there are so many other couples around,” Josh pointed out. “What makes us any different?”

“We’re his best friends, Joshy,” Mitch reminded gently. “He’s so used to us just being mates. He’s not used to us being more.”

Josh nodded, taking Mitch’s words on board.

They say apart again when Pat returned, three beers in tow.

Pat sat down with a sigh, looking at Josh and Mitch in turn.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this. But congratulations, boys,” Pat said, shaking his head with a smile, as if he still couldn’t believe it.

Mitch grinned, reaching for Pat’s forearm over the table and squeezing it.

“Thank you,” he said genuinely. “But you’re still our boy. Nothing changes.”

Pat nodded, though he seemingly thought of something else. “Wait, all of those years sharing beds here and there… did you guys ever…?”

Josh and Mitch exchanged a startled look.

“No,” Josh replied. “Never even kissed ’til we admitted we had feelings for each other that night.”

Pat raised his eyebrows. “Shit,” he breathed. “Okay, this’ll take some time to get used to. But I’m happy for both of you,” he said genuinely, reaching both hands across the table, squeezing one of each of Josh and Mitch’s hands.

*

Much later that night, Mitch was on his phone before heading to sleep. The lights were all off except for the lamp on Mitch’s side of the bed, and Josh was already asleep, sated and happy, his head on Mitch’s bare chest, over his heart.

Now that their best friend was in on their relationship, he couldn’t help himself.

He took a quick selfie of the two of them, Josh curled up against him, and his smile said it all. He sent it to Pat, and got a reply back within a minute.

**PCM:** _Very cute, mate. I’m proud of both of you_ ❤️️❤️️

With that message warming his heart, (or perhaps that was the warm boyfriend resting on his chest,) Mitch switched his phone off, settling in to a very happy sleep.


End file.
